Accompanying the increasing use of powered devices is the increasing use of outlet strips permitting a plurality of devices to be powered through the same wall outlet. However, the connection of a plurality of power cables of various devices to the same outlet strip tends to result in the power cables extending in varying directions in a disorganized manner. Accordingly, there has been an ongoing need to provide an outlet strip with the capability of maintaining order among the various power cables coupled to and extending therefrom. For example, U.S. Patent Des. 350,940 to Rossman et al. provides a surge protector having a cable management element and outlets along two faces of the housing.
Moreover, there has been an increase in the variety of electric, electronic, telecommunication devices used, such as computers, monitors, printers, telephones, facsimile machines, dictation equipment, and lamps, which devices have different power requirements. If the outlet strip only provides one type of outlet, then several different outlet strips must be provided, increasing the disorder of the environment of the powered devices. Accordingly, there has been an ongoing need for the appropriate connections for such differently configured powered devices to be provided in an orderly manner on the same outlet strip. Moreover, in a surge protected outlet strip it would be desirable to provide similar surge protection for devices, such as communication devices and devices utilizing coaxial cable connections, which cannot be electrically connected to the surge protector circuit.